The End of an Age
by ceci9123
Summary: Rule number 1: everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Sweet, innocent human Isabella Swan is about to marry his beloved vampire, to join their family definitely. There's just a problem: Isabella Swan doesn't exist. Set in Deathly Hallows, before Breaking Dawn.


**Hi! First of all, I should tell you English is not my mother tongue, it's not even the second or the third. I just learned at school when I was little, and then on my own, listening to music, seeing movies and talking with my English and American friends. ****So sorry for any grammar mistake I have made (and I'm sure there must be a lot of them...). ****I don't have a Beta, but I wish I had, so if there is a volunteer... PM me, please! **

**That's all! Thanks to all of you, and I hope you like it! **

_Edward... we need to talk._

The words kept running through my head as I drove to the Cullen manor. I needed to talk with him. Well... actually, with the seven of them.

I looked down to the place I knew the gold galleon was, hot against my leg, burning through my ripped up jeans.

I had to go. It was a fact. And they shouldn't know where I was going, or what I was going to do. I had already put them in danger on several occasions, and I wasn't about to do it again. No one else I loved would die, not for me. Not again.

After my phone call a few minutes ago, there was no turn back. Once I arrived, I got out of my noisy truck, and I walked to the back of the house. Everyone was already there, with curious expressions on their faces, no exception. Even Rosalie looked a little interested. I took a deep breath and I walked towards them.

"Hey, guys," I greeted softly, my voice almost off.

_C'mon, don't be stupid._

"Bella!" Alice's face lit up when she smiled at me. But she couldn't fool me, I could see confusion and suspicion in her eyes.

Esme smiled at me too, but I raised a hand to stop her when I saw her coming to me to pull me into her arms. She frowned, and I swore I saw a little of pain in her always kind golden eyes. I looked away uncomfortably.

"Well... I... I called you up to all of you, because I wanted you to know... that...", I was drowning in my own words. I closed my eyes for a moment. _Don't feel nothing, don't feel nothing. "_ I wanted to say goodbye properly." At that moment, I surprised myself at hearing my voice, which sounded confident.

Everyone shared glances, filled with a mixture of pain, grief and confusion, before looking back at me. Rosalie was the only one with a blank expression on her almost impossible beautiful face.

"Wh-What do you mean with 'say goodbye properly'?" Edward stuttered.

I refused to look at him, knowing I couldn't help all but expose myself when I saw his beautiful face full of pain.

"I mean I'm leaving. I'm going to move to somewhere in Europe. It's a school exchange program, you know," I shrugged slightly. "Charlie hasn't told me where yet, though."

"Bella..." Esme said, looking at me sorrowfully. "You can come home and stay here, sweetheart. There's a lot of space. Everyone here knows a lot of languages, and we have studied diferents grades. We can help you with your studies" I almost laughed at the thought of Emmett giving me classes of French.

Making an effort to control myself,I looked up, and pain washed over me when I glanced at Esme and her so sweet, motherly factions, now sad.

"I can't. I should go. I don't know where I'm going, we're not sure about it. But I will be with someone of my... family," I said, trying to act like I was sad about this... what I really was, in part.

"W-we can g-go with yo-you..." Esme stammered, with tears in her eyes which wouldn't spill.

I looked at her and, for a moment, my resolution wavered. She was the loving, protectress mother I had always wanted... and now I was renouncing at her?

I had always wanted a family... and now I was going to leave them? What kind of person I was, then?

_"You are the kind of person who gives everything for the ones she loves," t_he voice of my conscience said, which sounded suspiciously like the voice of my brother.

THANK YOU, JIMINY CRICKET!

I clenched my hands into fists. I knew what I had to do... even if it would kill me.

"You don't get it... You see, I don't want you to come with me," I said, my face completely expressionless, with a glacial voice tone.

"THAT'S IT!" Rosalie screamed, throwing daggers at me with her eyes. "So you come and integrate yourself into MY family. You take our love and sympathy, our protection; use our things... AND YOU GO AND THROW EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR YOU OUT OF THE WINDOW?" Rosalie growled fiercely with some venom in her voice.

I suppressed a shudder at her tone, keeping calm.

"No," I replied, "What's happening is that I don't know where I'm going, and I need a break of this supernatural stuff".

It was a fatal error.

_"Dude, what a stupid!"_ I scolded myself internally.

Everyone smiled relieved, and I realized that, once again, they were getting the wrong idea.

"THEN YOU'RE COMING BACK!" Alice celebrated, clapping and jumping on her heels. I hesitated for a second.

Did I wanted to see the Cullen again?

The obvious answer was 'yes'. Of course I wanted to see them again, they were my family, but... I was so tired of having a fake life. I missed the real me. Further... what if I couldn't make out alive of the battle?

"No, I'm not coming back," I said flatly. I was digging my own grave, and I knew it. It felt like a rusty old knife churning my guts. And their faces... they were a poem. "I'm sorry, but it has to be this way," I declared. Tears tarnished my eyes then, but I refused to let them pass. It was a matter of principle.

Another stab at seeing their expressions of pain... God, why we just couldn't say a fucking goodbye and end once and for all?

And then my eyes fell upon my Greek God. His golden, beautiful eyes were full of pain, and I felt really bad for doing this to him, the only one I had loved, I loved and I would love forever. I tried to fix all his features in my mind, knowing I might not see him again.

"Why?," Edward asked, his voice low and trembling. "You... You never wanted to walk away before..."

_Bella, be safe, be strong. _

"I don't think I should be with a family, inconveniencing someone who hates me." That was a low blow, and I knew it. But I needed them to let me go.

Everyone knew who I was talking about and turned their heads to Rosalie, with a well of hope in their eyes. I could see they were thinking that, if Rosalie told me she didn't hate me and that I wasn't a bother, I would stay. How dead wrong they all were...

"Bella... I've never hated you," Rosalie's voice sounded hurt. I could see in that moment that she was being honest, and I felt a warm feeling through my heart. SHE DIDN'T HATE ME!

_Focus, Bella._

"Rosalie, everyone in here know that's a lie," I replied without a care in the world, rolling my eyes.

"Bella, it's not a lie," she insisted. I looked at my wristwatch distractedly and I realized it was getting late. I needed to go. The fake galleon everyone of us had was burning my jeans; I could feel how its temperature was growing higher and higher against the pale skin of my leg.

"I have to go. The plane is leaving soon."

"WAIT!" Edward cried. I cursed under my breath, too low even for them to hear.

"What... Edward?"

He had the same face that would have a child when he arose on Christmas Day and discovered that there was no gifts. I clenched my teeth.

"You... You can't go. Stay here, with us. With... me," I heard as he tried to swallow the lump that had been formed in his throat. And I could tell that because I had the same on mine. "Please," he begged.

"You told me once your world wasn't for me. That I didn't belong in your world. You were right, Edward," I whispered, trying to give my voice an acid tone.

_C'mon. Let me go. Let me go._

_"Isabella,"_ Harry's voice hissed in my head. I didn't know if it was real or just a figment of my imagination. "_You have to get out of there. NOW!_"

By then, it was as his family had disappeared and we were alone, in the backyard of his house.

"You're my world," Edward said in a tiny voice.

"No, I'm not," I denied, as I began to walk in the opposite direction.

"I'll go with you, I'll follow you!" Edward assured me, anxious.

I froze before facing him, turning on my heel.

"Edward," I uttered the words with emphasis, slowly, so they sank in his brain._ It's for his own good, for his own good... _"I. Don't. Want. You. To. Come. With. Me." He looked at me blankly for a moment, without understanding. Then comprehension started to break on his face.

He frowned, his eyes glazed.

"You... don't... want me?"

A strange sense of déjà vu settled in my brain. And I knew what I had to answer.

"No".

His angel face contracted into a grimace of pain, and he fell to his knees, sobbing tearless, torn apart. I also wanted to mourn... but I couldn't.

_I feel nothing._

"I-If this has to do with what I did after your birthday... I'm sorry, Bella," he cried. "I'm so sorry... I should've never left you. Forgive me, love."

"It has nothing to do with it. You're not good enough for me, you know," I snapped with harsh tone.

Did he really think that I did NOT love him?

He raised his face and I saw that it was. His golden eyes reflected only suffering.

"I'm not good enough..." He took gulps air, as if he couldn't breathe properly.

A treacherous tear escaped from me, but I blinked rapidly to contain it again. If he saw it, he would realize I was lying.

"I'm sorry I let this last so long, I should have sorted out my feelings before," He looked at me and just the sight of his face flushed pain made me feel disgusted at myself.

"Please, no," he gasped.

"Goodbye".

I turned and walked without looking back. I heard sobs and appeals, they wanted to be shouts, but did not reach more than whispers.

I ran, leaving behind a life I always wanted and I always knew it could not be. A life that would remain in 'If only'. I let out the tears when an agony shout of the only one I would always love crossed the forest.

_Goodbye, Edward..._


End file.
